71 fake farmers flagged in Rs 9cr scam

Jaipur: Seventy-one individuals were allegedly projected as farmers using forged land records to claim crop insurance benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) at the State Bank of India's Salasar branch. By falsely showing ownership of land in Gajner tehsil of Bikaner and fabricating mustard crop entries, loans were processed under the Kisan Credit Card scheme and insurance policies issued, leading to an attempted fraudulent claim of nearly Rs 9 crore.The irregularity surfaced Friday after agriculture minister Kirodi Lal Meena conducted a surprise inspection at the branch with officials of the agriculture department and insurance firms. Revenue record verification found no agricultural land registered in the names of the 71 beneficiaries, though an insurance premium of about Rs51 lakh — including state and central contributions — had been collected. Officials said the claim was close to clearance before the inspection halted it.
"Verification of revenue records confirmed that no agricultural land was registered in the names of the beneficiaries," Meena said. He further alleged that nearly 15,000 landless individuals across Rajasthan were insured by falsely declaring them landholders, involving suspected claims of around Rs 1,150 crore. Calling it a "systematic and organised scam" involving a nexus of bank officials, insurance agents and middlemen, Meena said he sought a detailed probe by an independent agency. "Strict legal action would be taken against all those responsible for this scam. Blacklisting of the concerned insurance company is also under consideration," he said.